The Comedians
First published 1966 · English · 324 pages
- Novels
- Historical fiction
- War
- Adventure
Set in Haiti under the brutal rule of Papa Doc Duvalier, this novel follows three men who meet on a ship bound for Port-au-Prince: Brown, who owns a hotel there, Smith, an idealistic American, and Jones, a suspicious English adventurer. Each in his own way is playing a part. As terror and poverty surround them, they must decide how much they are willing to risk. Greene mixes dark humour, love affairs and political anger in a vivid portrait of a country under fear.
Quotes
Cynicism is cheap—you can buy it at any Monoprix store—it’s built into all poor-quality goods.
I have often noticed that a bribe...has that effect — it changes a relation. The man who offers a bribe gives away a little of his own importance; the bribe once accepted, he becomes the inferior, like a man who has paid for a woman.
We mustn’t complain too much of being comedians—it’s an honourable profession. If only we could be good ones the world might gain at least a sense of style. We have failed—that’s all. We are bad comedians, we aren’t bad men.
There is a point of no return, unremarked at the time, in most lives.